Wednesday, March 14, 2012

RANDOM SHOTS! Voter ID Laws, Hawaii's Most Wanted, Union Award For China, and More!


FIRST SHOT

Feds say No Voter-ID for Texas!

Like you, I need a picture identification of some sort for all sorts of things these days.

When I go to the bank to make a transaction, the store to cash a check, picking up certified mail, entering an Emergency Room for treatment, checking into the Veterans Hospital to make my appointments, when I'm stopped by the Police, or even signing up for insurance, like you, I need to produce an identification card (ID) of some sort with a picture on it.

So why is it that the Obama Administration and the Democrats in the Federal Government have a problem with us having to produce some sort of a picture ID when we show up to vote?

That is the basic question as to what the heck is going on with the Obama Justice Department these days.

This week the Feds, the Justice Department, blocked the new Texas Voter-Identification law. Their reasoning is that it targets that state’s Hispanics.

But how does that work?

First it was South Carolina and now it's Texas. Both states have had their Voter-ID laws rejected by the Justice Department for questionable reasons.

Both states have Republican-controlled legislatures trying to combat both Illegal Immigration, and both are trying to combat Voter Fraud in their states. So where's the problem?

Well, the Federal Government by way of Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez says he was using the Federal Government’s power under the Voting Rights Act to block the state’s law because "data show that Hispanics could be twice as likely as other groups to lack the right kind of identification."

Picture IDs? How can any American not have a picture ID? And why only Hispanics?
To me it all sounds like bullshit but Perez said in a six-page letter to Texas officials, "Hispanics disproportionately lack either a driver’s license or a personal identification card issued by [the state’s Department of Public Safety], and that disparity is statistically significant."

Wasting no time at all, Texas has already asked a Federal Court to hear the case - so a judge will have the final say.

Yes, the timing of the Obama Administration’s move left some Republicans questioning the motives.

"Today’s decision reeks of politics," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican and former judge who said the Justice Department is trying to "carry water for the president’s re-election campaign."

The issue is likely to play as well on the Republican campaign trail, where presidential candidates have said they would drop objections to voter-identification and state immigration laws.

At stake is the thorny question of which is a bigger problem in the country - Voter Fraud or Vote Suppression.

While there have been high-profile cases of invalid registrations, Civil Rights groups like the ACLU have argued that there is little evidence of fraud at the polls. They say the bigger problem is the enactment of laws that make voting tougher. 

These groups are either lying or obviously stupid. Why?

Well, during the last Presidential Election in 2008 voter fraud was ramped. So if they were informed of the case of 43 people all registered at one 2 bedroom home, or that Mickey Mouse was registered along with other fictitious names by groups like ACORN who Obama once worked with, then they are uninformed at best - and just plain stupid at worse.

Of course since those Civil Rights groups know better when they say that there is little evidence of fraud at the polls - then I can only assume that they are lying.

But hey, maybe stupid is how stupid thinks!

"This new law is a clear-cut attempt to suppress minority votes and stymie minority participation in our democracy," said Gary Bledsoe, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Texas State Conference, who cheered the Justice Department’s decision.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said voter fraud is a real danger and that his own office has won 50 convictions for election fraud in the past decade. He said the Justice Department has prosecuted more than 100 cases in that time.

He listed cases including a woman who submitted her dead mother’s ballot, a person who voted twice on Election Day, and an election worker who fraudulently cast a ballot under the name of a voter who shared his last name.

Texas Democrats blocked the Voter-ID law for years, but Republicans captured a super-majority in the state’s House and put the legislation through.

The same scenario played out in other states last year, usually after Republicans won or expanded majorities and pushed Voter-Identification laws. In December, the Justice Department blocked South Carolina’s new Voter-ID law, and department officials have said they are looking at other states’ laws.

Of course part of what makes this look very suspicious is that while states with republican legislatures are coming under scrutiny, states like Rhode Island with a Democrat-controlled legislature passed a law imposing a picture- ID requirement in 2014 and it was signed by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee - all with nothing said from the Democrats in the White House.

The Supreme Court has upheld Indiana’s voter-ID law, and both the authors and backers of the Texas Voter-ID statute said it was modeled after Indiana’s voter-ID law. The only difference is that the Texas statute is more restrictive in its list of acceptable identifications.

So I guess they won't accept my COSTCO picture ID! Oh well!

Voters who cannot present identification are allowed to cast provisional ballots but must return within six days with the required ID or must sign an affidavit saying they lost their identification in a natural disaster or have a religious objection to being photographed.

Texas is one of a handful of states that is required to submit new voting changes to the Justice Department. The department can block any changes it deems will have an adverse impact on minorities, and only a court can overturn its decisions.

That's why Texas wasted no time in taking the Justice Department to court! They knew what was coming from an Obama Justice Department that may be trying to allow illegals and criminals the opportunity to vote.

Criminals? Yes, registering to vote under a fictitious name is a crime.

And yes, none of this surprises me coming from the Obama White House!

SECOND SHOT

American Labor Union says China "Best Friend of American Worker"

No, I didn't read it wrong. I read it twice myself, because like you - I couldn't believe it!

Fact is that America’s biggest Maritime Labor Union has presented its "Best Friend of the American Worker Award" to the Premier of China, according to official reports from that Communist nation.

The International Longshoremen’s Association gave the award to Wen Jiabao to mark China’s "great contributions in creating more job opportunities for U.S. workers," the semi-official China Daily reported.

Chinese ambassador Zhang Yesui received the award on Wen’s behalf at a ceremony at the Port of Boston in Massachusetts. The award coincided with the 10th anniversary of the first direct shipment to Boston by COSCO, not to be confused with COSTCO, which is a giant shipping company owned and operated by the Communist Chinese government.

The International Longshoremen’s Association vice-president William McNamara presented the award.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin confirmed the award during a press conference, reported on the Chinese Embassy’s website saying,  "The award … is to thank the Chinese Government for its efforts to encourage Chinese enterprises' investment in the U.S. and to promote bilateral economic cooperation and trade. This gratitude is sincere and heartfelt."

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which claims to have 65,000 members, mainly on the East Coast was surprisingly quiet about the award and makes no mention on their website of their giving China their award.

I guess they might want to keep it sort of secret. After all, China is taking more and more manufacturing jobs from the United States every time you turn around.

And of course, there is that other little thing that a Labor Union might not want to talk about.

It is very well documented that China still uses forced labor and child labor of the type that American Labor Unions first fought against when they were first establishing themselves as being on the side of workers.

So can you say Union Hypocrites!


THIRD SHOT!

Hawaii's Most Wanted - Give Me A Break!

On KHON channel 2 News, they have a segment they call Hawaii's Most Wanted. On March 10th, they featured a woman by the name of Thomasina Kamana.

When I first saw the title of the story Hawaii's Most Wanted: Thomasina Kamana immediately I thought Bank Robber, Drug Dealer, Kidnapper, Attempted Murderer.

But Wow, was I wrong!

Thomasina is wanted on two warrants in connection with a couple of Shoplifting Cases.

That's right, Hawaii's Most Wanted is a Shoplifter!

This is crazy, but it gets even more silly as the segment even had a representative from the Honolulu Police Department go on camera and tell the public why they are looking for this notorious criminal - the now famous Thomasina Kamana. 

"On November 10, 2010 at 3 p.m., Kamana entered the Safeway store on Pali Highway and was observed putting six trays of steaks into her backpack. She was stopped outside the store and placed under arrest for theft," said Sgt. Kim Buffett of CrimeStoppers.

She stole 6 steaks! Call SWAT! Get the FBI! Notify the Justice Department!

She stole 6 steaks from Safeway supermarket, but that was only the start of her crime spree!

Six days later after the big heist of bagging 6 steaks at Safeway, the now famous Thomasina Kamana was arrested for theft at Wal-Mart after a loss prevention officer saw her put clothes in her backpack and leave without paying.
She's now wanted on two $20,000 warrants for not complying with the terms of HOPE Probation.

HOPE Probation (Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement), is the first and only of its kind in the nation. Probationers in HOPE Probation receive swift, predictable, and immediate sanctions - typically resulting in several days in jail - for each detected violation, such as detected drug use or missed appointments with a probation officer.

Thomasina Kamana is 31-years-old, 5'7" tall, 133 pounds, looks local, most probably Hawaiian, and since she stole 6 steaks has probably just attended a Bar-B-Q wearing a new shirt from Wal-Mart.

"She is known to frequent the Waianae area and she has six prior convictions," HPD Sgt Buffett says.

If you know where the now famous Thomasina Kamana is, please tell her that her Shoplifting is the biggest thing that the Honolulu Police have to concern themselves with. They obviously have nothing else to do!
 
 
FOURTH SHOT!
 
He Bit Off Part Of Basketball Coach's Ear
 
Massachusetts dad, Timothy Forbes, age 34, allegedly went nuts Friday when his 6th-grade son's basketball team lost a game.
 
Police say he attacked the winning team's coach and bit off part of his ear, according to USA today.

This is no joke! This guy must have been crazed! The unidentified coach was rushed to the hospital where his ear was surgically reattached.

When the game ended - at Holy Name School in Springfield - Timothy Forbes allegedly barreled through several 10 to 12 year-old kids before he made it to the coach.

"During the brief but violent assault assault, part of the coach's [left] ear was bitten off," Police Sgt. John Delaney told The Republican.

Other parents reportedly tried to pull Forbes off the coach, but the alleged assailant fled before the Police arrived on the scene.

So where's the surprise there, unlike on TV the Police are normally nowhere around when things happen. Most of the time, they show up an hour after called to take a report.

The biting parent turned himself in at the Springfield Courthouse on Monday and pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct, assault and battery, felony mayhem and other charges.

From reports, this is not that strange. The incidence of spectator violence at sporting events appears to be increasing at an alarming rate in present-day society. Violence at sporting events is not an uncommon occurrence.

Some folks are trying to say that we live in a more violent society, but I don't agree. Violence at sporting events is nothing new, and nit restricted to the United States.

During the Sydney Riot of 1879, up to 2,000 fans invaded the pitch and disrupted play after an umpiring dispute broke out between members of the visiting English cricket team and the New South Wales Cricket Association; two English players were assaulted, with three fans being arrested.

In 1912, during a Baseball Game between the New York Highlanders and the Detroit Tigers at Hilltop Park in New York, Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb ran into the stands and assaulted a handicapped fan, Claude Lueker, after Lueker had heckled him throughout the first three innings.

Cobb was suspended indefinitely and fined $50 for the incident, and his teammates, though they were certainly not fond of Cobb actually went on strike to protest the suspension

In 1922, after being ejected from a Baseball Game for throwing dirt in the eyes of the umpire, Babe Ruth chased a heckler through the stands. When the fan ran out of reach, Ruth returned to the dugout roof and challenged any fan in attendance to fight him. Ruth was suspended for seven games and fined $200 for the incident.
 
In 1955, midway into the first period of a game at the Montreal Forum between the Montreal Canadians and the Detroit Red Wings, Canadians fans who were outraged at the remainder of the season suspension handed to superstar Maurice "Rocket" Richard for knocking out linesman Cliff Thompson during a fight in a March 13 game, pelted Red Wings players, officials, and NHL President Clarence Campbell and his fiancee with debris as the Red Wings built up a 4–1 lead.
 
After police set off a tear gas bomb inside the Forum and ordered a total evacuation, a furious and bloodied Campbell ruled the game a forfeit to the Red Wings.
 
In 1961, in the first half of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland Indians outfielder Jimmy Piersall was attacked by two Yankee fans who ran onto the field. Piersall quickly took care of the first fan with a single punch, then went after and chased after the other who was intercepted and pummeled by Indian teammates Johnny Temple and Walt Bond.
 
In 1971, during the bottom of the ninth inning of the final game of the Washington Senators in Washington before their move to Texas, hundreds of disgruntled Senators fans rushed the field and vandalized RFK Memorial Stadium. They actually forced the Senators, who were leading the New York Yankees 7–5, to forfeit the game. Three men were arrested for disorderly conduct.
 
Another part of that riot was that Major League Baseball would not return to the U.S. capital until 2005, when the Montreal Expos moved south to become the Washington Nationals.
 
In 1974, Someone came up with the great idea of  "Ten Cent Beer Night" for a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Subsequently, fans were served as many 10-ounce cups of beer as they wanted for 10¢ each.
 
After numerous instances of drunk fans being involved in throwing things and running onto the field, streaking, the situation finally boiled over in the 9th inning when a fan ran onto the field and snatched Rangers outfielder Jeff Burroughs' cap and glove.
 
Burroughs' teammates charged out to his aid, followed by hundreds of Cleveland fans who poured onto the field.

In the chaos, believe it or not, Indians manager Ken Aspromonte ordered his players to grab baseball bats and protect the Rangers from their own fans.

Rangers manager Billy Martin actually grabbed a bat and ran into the crowd, Rangers pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the back of the head with a metal chair, and chief umpire Nestor Chylak was hit in the head with a chair thrown from the stands. Nine people were arrested, and the game was forfeited to Texas.

In 1979, at the end of a Hockey Game between the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden, Bruins players climbed into the stands to fight with Rangers fans after Stan Jonathan was hit across the face with a rolled up program and Terry O'Reilly's stick was stolen.

This incident was made infamous by Mike Milbury removing a fan's shoe and beating him with it. Four Rangers fans were arrested, with O'Reilly suspended for eight games and Milbury and Peter McNab for six games by NHL president John Ziegler; all three players were also fined $500.

This incident resulted in the installation of higher glass panels enclosing rinks in hockey arenas.

From 1979 to 1985, I was one of the Supervisors in charge of Security for the San Francisco 49ers. There were many instanced of violence with spectators in those days at Candlestick Park.
 
As recently as 2002, a shirtless father and son ran from the stands at Chicago's Comiskey Park and attacked Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa. The coach suffered a cut forehead.

In 2003, after a Padres game at Qualcomm Stadium, 22-year-old Jeremy Lindsay was beaten into a coma in the parking lot. He died seven weeks later.

Again in 2003, Giants fan Marc Antenorcruz was shot and killed by Dodgers fan Pete Marronin the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, following a late-season Dodgers-Giants game. Marron was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. A second defendant, Manuel Hernandez, plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter and had his 15 year sentence suspended.

In 2004, when the San Diego Chargers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium, three Chargers fans beat a Jaguars fan unconscious in front of dozens of people.

Also in 2004, during a game between the Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco was ejected, arrested, and charged with assault and battery after he threw a metal chair into the stands that hit a fan, Jennifer Bueno, breaking her nose and causing a gash which required stitches.

Francisco was released on $15,000 bail and suspended for the remainder of the season by MLB. He pleaded no contest to the charges, and was sentenced to anger management classes and a work program.

In 2007, Francisco finally settled a civil suit brought on by Jennifer Bueno.

In 2009, a man stabbed his "friend" in the stadium parking lot after the home opener in which the Dodgers beat the Giants 11–1. Arthur Alvarez was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Alvarez, who contended that he was knocked to the ground and acted in self-defense, was later acquitted by a jury.

Of course in 2011, Bryan Stow, a 42 year-old Giants' fan from Santa Cruz, was critically injured when he was attacked by two Dodgers fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the Dodgers and Giants opened the 2011 season.

Stow, a paramedic and father of two, sustained severe injuries to his skull and brain and was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident. A suspect, 31-year-old Giovanni Ramirez, was arrested in connection with the crime.

Ramirez was never formally charged and was declared innocent in July 2011 when Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood were arrested and charged in the crime.

Lawyers for Stow say his medical care is expected to cost more than $50 million. On September 27, 2011, relatives reported that Stow showed signs of improvement and even went outside for the first time in six months. Stow began an intensive therapy program in the Rehabilitation Trauma Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on October 11, 2011. On December 19, 2011, NBC's Brian Williams aired the first interview with Bryan Stow.

To me, I still don't understand how others who were there witnessing the attack - didn't come to Bryan's aid.

Especially, especially, after they saw Bryan Stow’s limp body collide with the pavement and seeing Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood take turns kicking Bryan in the head.

This sort of violence is not new, but that doesn't excuse it.

LAST SHOT!

I love Samoans, they are great people!

When I was growing up in Hawaii, I learned how traditional and close Samoan families really are.

Because of my experience knowing Samoans, it doesn't surprise me that they are usually deeply religious and conservative. They really are great people.

So what do you get when 50 or so Samoan Republicans gather in a restaurant-bar in American Samoa? Well, you get a Samoan Republican Presidential Caucus.

Since American Samoa is a United States territory, the Republicans in Samoa got their chance on Tuesday to participate in the presidential selection process.

Republicans met at Toa Bar & Grill to choose delegates to the Republican National Convention and vote on a presidential candidate. For them, Mitt Romney is their pick!

As for the six delegates picked at the caucus, well they will join three American Samoa "super-" at the convention.

Now if you wanted to join the fun at the Toa Bar & Grill, I would say that you should have gotten started a while ago. 

American Samoa is located about 2,300 miles south of Hawaii, and will take about 5 hours and 40 minutes to get to Pago Pago from Honolulu. 

Of course if you did go to Samoa, you may have wanted to stay.  

Story by Tom Correa